Folding poultry-crate.



E.L. GRAY. FOLDING POULTRY CRATE APPLlQATloN FILED MAR. za, me.

Patented Jem. w18:

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

@trol-ww E. L. GRAY.

FOLDING POULTRY CRATE. APPLICATION HLED MAR. '29, :916.

atente. Jan. i, i918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

iwf., 0,/5

tim/wail EDDIE L. GRAY, OFTUPELO, MISSISSIPPI.

kSpecifirattion of Letters Patent.

, FoLDiive roULTRY-CRATE.

Patented Jani, 191s.

Application inea March 29, 191e.A seriali ivo`. s7,5ee.

Mississippi, have invented', new and *useful4 l Improvements in Folding vPoultry-Crates, of

which the, following is a specicatioir lhis'invention relates to folding poultryv crates and it consists in the novel features hereinafter described and claimed.

An object of the inventionis to provide a crate of the characterindicated which may be conveniently and economically used for the purposeof shippingpoulti'y to the market and after the crate has been emptied of its contents it may be collapsed incompaet form whereby it maybe reshipped to the producer at small or nominal cost for transportation. d t

lith the vabove object in view the crate comprises a bottom bound about its edges with upstanding flanges. 'Side and end panels are hingedly mounted upon the said flanges and are adapted Vto swing upon axes located approximately above the median lonzegitudinal dimensions of the said flanges. The end panels however are arranged to swing aboutr the median longitudinal dimensions of the end flanges in order that theyvinay lie flat against thebottom when the vcrate is collapsed. The side panels are provided at their free edges .and at one end with inwardlydisposed lugs against which one of', the end panels is adapted to bearl when 4the parts are in.y extended position. The saidend panel is provided at its free edge with an upstanding lug and the opposite eiidpanel'is provided at its free edge with upstanding pins. The side panels are provided in the vicinity of their hinged edges with pins, the pins at the hinged edge being located the saine distance from each other as the pins at the vfree edges.

A'top panel is provided and the same carries at its` sides and in the vicinity of one end fiXedhooks and at its opposite end portion and opposite sides pivotally m-ounted spring actuated hooks. The said top panel when the parts of the crate are extended is adapted to rest upon the upper edges of the side and end panels and the `fixed hooks engage the-pins at one end oftheside panels while the pivoted hooks engage the pins at the opposite ends thereof. The said top panel is further provided at its side edge portions with pins adapted to engage in GRAY,V a

sockets in the free edges of the side panels when the parts of the crate are in extended position.

In the accompanying drawing Figure l is a perspective view of the .crate sliowing'the parts in extended positions.

Fig.I 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same.

Fig. #l is a transverse sectional view ofthe same.

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of theV saine.

Fig. 'G is a longitudinal sectional view of the same taken onthe line 6 6 of Fig. 5, and showing the parts collapsed.

Fig'. 17 is a transverse sectional view of the saine taken on the line 7 7 of Fig. 5 and showing the parts collapsed.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view of parts of the crate.

The crate includes a 'bottom member l which is bounded along its longitudinal edges by upstanding side flanges 2 and along its transverse edges with upstanding end flanges 3. The end flanges 8 are chamfeied or beveled at their upper inner edges..

The end panels 4 are hingedly connected with the end flanges 3 by means of clips 5 which are fixedly connected .with the said vend panels and pass under and around the The lower portions of the end flanges 3. said clips serve as hinged members for connecting the end panels with the end flanges and the end panels may be swung down upon the upper surface of the bottom member lV when the parts of the crate are collapsed.` One of the end panels 4 is provided at its free edge with an upstanding lug. (i and the other end panel 4l is provided at its free edge and in the vicinity of its corners vwith upstanding pins 7.

Side panels 8 arehingedly mounted upon the Ysidev flanges 2 by means of clips 9 which are iXedly connected with the 'side flanges and which receive the edge portions of the side panels 8 so that the said side panels ymay swing within the said clips. The lower inner edges ofthe side panels 8 are chamfered or beveled and the said side panels may swing down over the end panels 4 after the said endpanels have been swung down against the upper surface of thel bottomv 1.' The side panels 8 are provided at their lower portions with pins 10 and at their upper portions with pins 11. The axes of the pins l() are disposed at a right angle tothe axes of the pins 11 so that the vicinity of one end with inwardly' disposed lugs 12 and in the vicinity of their opposite ends with sockets 13.

A top panel 14 is provided in the vicinityvv of one end and approximately at its corners with fixed hooks 15. Pivoted hooks 16 are located in the vicinity of the opposite corners of the top panel and Ysprings 17 are connected at one end with the hook 16 and at their other end with the said top panel. The top 'panel 14 is provided inl the vicinity of its side edgesV and at its undersurface with pins18 adapted to enter the sockets 13 in the side panels 8 when the parts of the crate are inv erected position. The said pins 18 may also be inserted in sockets 19 when the parts of the crate are collapsed or folded. The bottom member and the panels hereinbefore described may be provided with suitable braces and the side end and top panels are open at their intermediate portions and the said openings are covered with open mesh'wire whereby the crate may be used for shipping poultry and suiiicient air may be admitted into the interior thereof for ventilation. The openings through the material applied to the side, top and end panels also afford means for observing the interior of the crate.

When the parts of the crate are extended or set up the side panels 8 are in vertical position above the side flanges 2 and the en-l panels 4 are in vertical positions above the endflanges 3. Vhen so positioned the end panel 4 which carries the lug 6 is in engagement with the lugs 12 located at one end of the side panels 8. One end of the top panel 14'is in engagement with the inner surface of the lug 6 and the fixed hooks 15 engage the upper vpins 11` at one end of the side panels 8 and the pivoted hooks 16 engage the pins 11 lat the other end of the side panels also the pins 7 upon one of the end panels- 4 engage in sockets provided at the end of the top panel 14V and the pins 18 carriedby the top panels engage in the sockets 13 at, the free edge portionsY of the'side panels 8. Thus the parts are securely held in extended positions.

To col-lapse'or fold the crate an operator swings the. hooks 16 against the influence of the sprlng 17 whereby the said hooks are Copies-011 this patent maj-be olitainedk for ve cents each, by addressng'the' Commissioner ef;'llat-ents,*Iv

disengaged from the pins`11 and oneV end of the top panel- 14 is moved in an upward ydirection wherebythe fixed hooks 15 are disengaged from the other pins 11, thus the top pa'nel may be removed from over the upper edges of the side and end panels. The

end panels 4 are then swung down into close,`

contact with theupper surface of the bottomV 1 and the side panels 8 are swung down over the end panels 4. rIhe top panel 14 1s then placed in position overthe upperjsurfaces of the side panels 8 and the pins 18 are inserted in the sockets 19 of theside-panels. The fixed hooks A15v arev engaged with the pins 10 upon the side panels at one end thereof and the pivoted hooks 16 are engaged with the pins 10 upon the side panelsv 1n the vicinity of the opposite ends thereof. Thus the parts are secured in collapsed or folded position. y f

Froml the foregoing description takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawing it will be seen that a poultry crate of simple `and dura-ble structure is 'provided and that the same may be economically andv conveniently used for transportation and when it is -desired to return or reshipthe same the parts may be folded into small compass thereby materially reducing the' cost of handling and resh'ipment.

Having described the invention what is claimed 1s A crate comprising a bottom member, sides and end `panels hinged-ly connected therewith, means for connectingA the free edges of the end panels with the ends of the side panels, inwardly disposed upper pins carried by the side panels and located in the vicinity of the ends thereof, a top panel hav-v other upper pins on the side panels, springs connected with said pivoted hooks andthe top panel and other ypins carr-iedJat the lower end portions of the side panels and Y disposed at right angles to theupp'er pins and engageable by the hooks'wh'en,,thefparts are collapsed. Y

In testimony whereofI aiiixmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

. EDDIE L'. GRAY.

Witnesses: ROY PATRICK,

R. G. KENNEDY. y

Washington, D; C. 

